Before Me
by taintedidealist
Summary: This simply addresses the question that we all ask in a relationship, "Who were you with before me?" Sometimes we're surprised, sometimes pleased, and sometimes we wish we had not asked. Callie/Arizona with Callie/OC mentions.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer:** I own nothing and borrow lots. No, really... lots. Like the characters of Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins which are the sole intellectual property of Shonda Rhimes, Shondaland and ABC. All ideas for this story are from brain wrinkles and influenced by many other TV shows and movies. This is purely for entertainment purposes and sadly, no profit is being gained.

**Ratings:** Overall rating of this story is PG-13ish to R. This story will likely contain adult themes, activity, and language.

**Feedback:** Yes, please. I mean... I'm not that needy. Much. I'll totally love you forever if I know you're reading and even marginally enjoying it. Without feedback, there is no love for you and less enjoyment in writing for me.

**Story Information:** I again couldn't concentrate. I again was talking to or at roughian and decided to write a crackfic/flashfic/nowfic to try and work out some writing kinks in my fingers. This simply addresses the question that we all ask in a relationship, "Who were you with before me?" Sometimes we're surprised, sometimes pleased, and sometimes we wish we had not asked.

**Before Me** (1/2)

Her hair was splayed across the pillow case as she watched the rain slowly trickle down the window pane; each droplet seemed as if they were racing each other to the edge. The tracks of the water lit up occasionally as the lightning flashed from the storm. It was slowly rolling away allowing the morning to peek through breaks in the clouds. Sunlight creeped in slowly, reminding Callie that another day was now threatening to start on her and all without a companion at her side.

The storm cell and winds had detoured Arizona's flight from Georgia, where she had been visiting her grandparents, to Chicago and through a phone call that was equal parts coated in tin foil and laced with the high-pitched cry of a small child she had heard that it was not looking good that Arizona would be making it home.

Callie had paused when Arizona had said home, her heart fluttering for a moment as she wondered if home was Seattle itself or if home was perhaps where Callie was, she had hoped for the latter, but shook it off for the place. Seattle was home and Callie was just a piece of it, a pleasant piece. The call was cut off as the signal dropped right after the comfort of O'Hare was compared to the comfort of cinder blocks covered in a moldy blanket.

A soft glow of light shimmered its way in as if it was trying to wake the occupant of the room very gently; whispering words of encouragement to get out of bed as it glided over scattered books, the side table and then it inched up Callie's arm itself. She sighed as it slowly moved up upon her shoulder. The slight warmth the rays brought with it made her hum lightly as she closed her eyes, not quite ready to accept the defeat of another day without Arizona.

She unfurled her back, slowly stretching out like a cat from the tips of her fingers to the edges of her toes. Peeking through one eyelid she let out a soft puff of air and her bangs flipped up from her eye and then back down to cover it in a sort of veil. The stretch didn't work in convincing Callie to get out of bed the covers were twisted around her legs, one foot stuck out testing the temperature of the room for a moment before snaking its way back inside to shelter.

The tug of sleep pulled lightly on her as the sun continued to creep across her skin teasing it with memories of Miami beaches and summers of sin. A grin worked its way across her lips as she thought of the breaks in college, before medical school when she was still trying to decide on medicine or saving the world or perhaps saving the world through medicine. A gasp left her mouth as she remembered Heather.

A kiss dropped on her bare shoulder, "And here I was trying to be quiet and slip right in without you noticing," the voice seemed to drift through the air for a moment before she could place its owner. Her eyes fluttered open and Callie felt a hand softly run through her hair, Arizona's hand.

"You're home?" Callie turned towards the clothed figure on top of the sheets and frowned, "You're home and in clothes."

Nodding Arizona laughed for a moment, Callie realized the laughter did a better job of warming the bedroom than the sun had, it could take lessons. "You are correct on both accounts." Her hand slipped farther into Callie's dark hair, her eyes following the strands as they fell towards the pillow and formed a new design.

"Were you dreaming?"

Callie shook her head slowly leaning up towards Arizona as a kiss dropped on her lips in moments. She tucked an errant piece of blonde hair behind Arizona's ear, "You straightened it."

Cocking her head Arizona's eyes glimmered with amusement, "I got bored at the airport so I had an impromptu spa day in the family restroom."

She wiggled down on the bed getting closer to Callie's level. Her pointer finger circled in the air before tapping the end of Callie's nose lightly, "And you are avoiding my dream question," she pursued her lips for a moment assessing Callie's body language, "which means it was dirty," she paused for a moment.

Callie avoided her eye contact and Arizona gasped, "Dirty and not about me, oh Calliope."

Her tone was of pure amusement and it bothered Callie. She felt her muscles tense before she was aware of it and Arizona's smile faded quickly as she ran a hand up and down her arm, "Callie, I'm sorry did I upset you?"

Shaking her head briskly, the pillow taking most of the beating, Callie denied it, but her eyes told Arizona something else so she pushed on, "If I did you have to tell me or I'll do it again and most likely often."

Callie bit the inside of her lip for a moment, "I just remembered something."

She decided she would start off vague and hopefully Arizona wouldn't pry.

"Something?"

"Someone." Callie corrected quietly.

Her body moved closer to Callie's as she watched the emotions play over her face. "Do you want to talk about it?"

Callie's face scrunched together in thought and she looked up at Arizona, "Do you really want to know about someone before you?"

"Before me?"

The question hovered in the air for a moment as if Arizona needed to visualize the shape and weight of the words before following through with a full sentence, "If you want to share it with me and it doesn't," she moved her hand around in a slow circle trying to push a word out of her mouth, "get too graphic sure."

With her eyes closed Callie took a deep breath, "I remembered Heather."

It came out as a rushed declaration and Arizona's voice softened, "What did you remember about Heather?"

She shifted, the sheets were too confining now she found her body engaged in a tug of war with a poly cotton blend and losing until Arizona's palm graze her cheek, bringing her back to her eye line, "We don't have to talk about it Callie..."

"Thanks." Callie smiled and rolled onto her back staring up at the speckled paint on the ceiling. Arizona scooted in beside her, curling easily into her side. An arm slid along her stomach as Arizona snuggled in deeper taking comfort in the slight contact, even with the comforter still separating them. Callie's hand idly ran through the silky strands of hair, noting how a sigh escaped from Arizona, her girlfriend always turned into a puddle when her hair was played with and Callie thankfully obliged her, hoping the memories would start to fade now that her present was humming notes of contentment into her shoulder.

"Was she blonde?"

Callie looked down her nose as she found curious eyes looking up at her, "What?"

"This Heather, was she blonde?" Arizona smirked, "I hear you have a type," her eyes darted from left to right before smiling, "when it comes to the lady types."

Quickly moving her gaze back to the ceiling Callie took a deep breath and understood where Arizona was coming from in her questioning; a kind of Pandora's box that had creaked open before Callie had slammed it shut. "No, she wasn't blonde."

The minutes slowly moved by and Arizona had kept silent more so Callie believed from complete exhaustion than from her concession about Heather. "So," she felt Arizona stir as the noise probably, "it was the summer in between my sophomore and junior year of college."

Arizona asked, "When was that for you?"

Squeezing her eyes shut for a moment Callie laughed her chest rumbling under Arizona's ear, "1996, why is that important?"

"I just wanted to know where I was during that time of your life." Arizona stated as if it was completely natural.

Callie countered, "And where were you?"

Pulling herself up Arizona shook her head from side to side, "In Atlanta at the Olympics, volunteering... naturally."

Her eyebrows pushed together as Callie laughed, "Why naturally?"

Arizona mimicked the face being given to her, "Well it was in my grandparent's backyard and-" she trailed off glancing over her shoulder mumbling.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that purposefully hidden other half of your sentence as you delivered it to the dresser drawers." Callie pushed herself up into a sitting position her back resting against the wall.

"And I may have been volunteering at the women's softball event." Arizona blushed slightly, "I mean, might as well try to get some summer play along with my summer work."

They both broke out into laughter for a moment before Callie cleared her throat, "So, it was the summer of 1996 and I was back in Miami trying to decide what to do with my life." She dipped her head to the side and winced, "Or that's what my father intended the summer to be; I, on the other hand, decided it would be my last summer to ignore what to do with my life."

Arizona nodded and squinted her eyes in thought, "Who won?"

"It was a draw." Callie offered after a long moment.

* * *

The bass guitar took over the speaker system in her car, pulsing and reverberating through the glass to where Callie could almost visualize the strains of No Doubt's Spiderwebs filling the car as she drove towards the beach. She had missed the sun and sand afforded to her throughout high school in Miami now that she was in Manhattan for her undergraduate degree. Callie was happy to be able to go out with a small crowd and discover the city on foot or by subway instead of driving everywhere, but now that she was back in Miami and able to slip back onto the white leather seats of her high school graduation present, a 1962 Lincoln Continental, home seemed a little less of an irritation than she had remembered. Yes, she was expected to do volunteer work that would pad her resume for post-graduate school, as well as pose for photo opportunities that could pad her father's notoriety in the circles they kept, but she got down time. That time would always be spent at the beach where she promised her father she was 'contemplating the trajectory of her life and the seriousness of her studies' and she was, to a point.

The click of the radio dial in the middle of the last chorus caused her to roll her eyes as she looked across the bench seat at her sister chomping on gum and twirling her hair. Aria was intelligent and talented in many ways, but her best use of energy as far as Callie could tell was the sheer irritation that only a sibling can bring forth from the other.

"I was listening to that." Callie said through clenched teeth.

Aria worked over dramatically on the window lever cranking it as if physical exertion was pure torture, "I could see that, but you're not Gwen Stefani and you should stop being all 1930's with your suit and your hair." She flipped her long hair over one shoulder, the wind filtered in through the window causing bits to float backwards. Callie hoped that it would get tangled, horribly.

"I like what I'm wearing, what's wrong with a red bikini Aria?" Her nails clicked on the steering wheel as she focused on pulling into the parking lot to the beach, "And so what if I'm taking cues from what's popular?"

The snort from her sister caused her to hit the brake a little too hard as she backed into a parking spot, the trunk facing the sand.

"Please," Aria drew the word out into what seemed like an entire sentence, before blowing a large bubble. It popped, deflating as Callie raised an eyebrow waiting for her sister to grace her with the remainder of her proclamation, "Since when were you popular Callie?"

"Took you long enough Torres!"

The teasing voice broke through the staring match the two sisters were engaged in, Aria let out a disgusted grunt as she pushed her door open connecting with the stomach of their greeter, "Move Heather!"

"Nice to see you too Aria," leaning down playful eyes caught Callie's as a lopsided smirk worked its way over her face before wet strands of auburn hair fell down from behind her ear, "Callie you have to actually come out in the surf today. The waves are back just like you."

Callie pulled her oversized beach bag on over her shoulder as she flipped her sunglasses down over her eyes, "I'm not surfing today. I don't even have my baggies."

Rounding the corner of the car Callie slid her key into the truck and wiggled it until she heard the satisfying pop of the creaky classic. She pointed into the massive trunk, "I didn't even bring a board."

Heather pushed her hair behind her ears with both hands. She waved unconcerned at the obvious sunbathing equipment that was scattered along the trunk bed. "Bah, come off it you don't need to pull on anything but what you got on and I'm sure you can be all 'oh I'm so hot' and get the boys to let you borrow one."

The laughter erupted out of Callie as she shook her hands at her friend, "Those boys do not think I'm hot." She pointed at the rag tag bunch she had known since they all had started at St. Mary's in primary school.

Crossing her arms in front of her Heather raised an eyebrow, "Trust me, your hotness is all we've been talking about in between critique of Matty's utterly hack use of the swell."

Callie's smile wiped off her face and she felt her heart quicken for a moment before she shook her head again, slight curls sliding across her shoulders.

"We?"

She glanced back at Heather who was shuffling her feet in the sand, as it clung up and down her legs from the run she must have taken to meet the car.

"Come on, it's not like I'm blind to the pretty Callie. You went to New York and got all hot." Callie couldn't tell if it was the sun or if Heather was blushing behind that golden tan. She narrowed her eyes, moving her gaze slowly from the fidgeting arms in front of her, down Heather's dark blue rashguard as the spring wet suit was peeled down to barely past her hips, a sliver of skin peeking out. "What was that Torres?"

Callie's eyes shot back up to the warm gaze of her friend that tell-tale smirk coming out to play again, "What was what?"

"You gave me the once over." Heather teased.

Her jaw worked open and shut quickly before her lips pursed out, "No, you're suited up, so it's cold."

Heather shook her head and leaned forward grabbing the beach chair before turning back to her, "It was cold before the sun came up, now I'm about to strip down to the rashguard and my bottoms." She winked at Callie, "You can twice me over when I get this thing off if you want."

The retreating form of Heather left Callie with the only choice of dipping down into the back and getting the remaining cooler and radio before slamming the trunk down roughly. It had the effect she hoped it would as Heather turned, backpeddaling towards the water, "Come on Callie, when's the last time you got all wet and wild in Miami."

Sucking in a breath Callie followed her friend, not sure how she wouldn't end up on a board by the end of the afternoon.

* * *

Arizona's eyes opened wider and Callie stopped her story, "What, what too much?"

She found her hand wrapped up fiercely and Arizona dropped a kiss on the back of her palm, "No, no," she chuckled, "I just went to Callie in a bikini and surfing mental place."

"So I've lost you for a while?" Callie raised her eyebrows in a mock challenge. She saw the rough shake of Arizona's head and leaned forward dropping a kiss on Arizona's cheek, "How about I make some breakfast and continue so I'm not late to work."

A wrinkled nose answered her, "Why did you have to mention work? I was in Callie bikini land."

"Life is unfair," Callie slid off the bed, "But my waffles are not."

Arizona fell onto her side on the bed with a contented sigh, "Waffles are not awful."


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer:**I own nothing and borrow lots. No, really... lots. Like the characters of Callie Torres and Arizona Robbins which are the sole intellectual property of Shonda Rhimes, Shondaland and ABC. All ideas for this story are from brain wrinkles and influenced by many other TV shows and movies. This is purely for entertainment purposes and sadly, no profit is being gained.

**Ratings:**Overall rating of this story is PG-13ish to R. This story will likely contain adult themes, activity, and language.

**Feedback:**Yes, please. I mean... I'm not that needy. Much. I'll totally love you forever if I know you're reading and even marginally enjoying it. Without feedback, there is no love for you and less enjoyment in writing for me.

**Story Information:** I again couldn't concentrate. I again was talking to or at roughian and decided to write a crackfic/flashfic/nowfic to try and work out some writing kinks in my fingers. This simply addresses the question that we all ask in a relationship, "Who were you with before me?" Sometimes we're surprised, sometimes pleased, and sometimes we wish we had not asked.

**Before Me** (2/2)

The syrup dribbled down the side of her face as she tried to catch it with her tongue in vain. Arizona shrugged and looked back down at her plate eyeing which piece of waffle would soon find its delicious death in her belly. "I choose you!" She stabbed at the banana waffle and spun the fork in a circle to get more of the maple goodness coated all over the breaded wonder.

"Really?"

Arizona winced for a moment at Callie's voice before clearing her throat, "I can't help it. I was surrounded by cousins' children. I've devolved into a childish goof when breakfast is put before me." She smiled widely as she pushed the piece of waffle into her cheek emulating a chipmunk, "You still love me though right?"

Callie leaned forward, kissing Arizona lightly on the side of her mouth tasting the sugary trail of syrup left behind from careless eating. She pulled back, her gaze moving over Arizona's features before smiling, "Yeah, I still love you."

Arizona smiled wider and raised another piece of waffle in celebration, "Yay."

Turning back towards the bowl of excess batter Callie flung a cleaning cloth over her shoulder a puff of flour clung to her ratty black t-shirt. She dug into the drawer looking for plastic wrap so they could indulge in breakfast for dinner after her shift at the hospital. A waffled-filled mumble emitted from Arizona and she looked back up at her, "You were saying?"

"Exactly," Arizona's reply was punctuated by another piece of waffle being pushed into her cheek, "You were saying. Hurry up and finish the story before you go off into surgery for hours and I wonder if you're going to leave me for this surfer girl."

Callie snorted, "I would not leave you for a surfer girl or any other girl."

A pleased hum emitted from Arizona as she grinned, still chewing on the last bits of breakfast, "Good, because you make excellent waffles."

Smoothing the plastic wrap around the bowl Callie tugged the refrigerator door open, "Oh really, is that it?"

Arizona's eyes ticked upwards as she tried to visualize anything else. She bit lightly on her bottom lip lost in thought before looking back at Callie, "You also fold laundry really well."

Callie smiled with arched eyebrows falling into the game that they both played to the hilt, "Anything else?" She saw Arizona's face fall for a moment and felt panic wash over her own face, "Arizona?"

"I really missed you," she sighed and make fork tracks in the syrup remains of her plate.

Callie smiled, "I missed you too."

Arizona kept her eyes on her plate, "When I visit again do you think," she paused, "would you, want to go with me?"

The smile slowly worked its way across Callie's face until she felt it beaming across the kitchen, "That would be really fun."

Nodding Arizona's tongue peeked out between her teeth, "Awesome." Her face turned serious, "Now stop dawdling and tell me about Heather."

"Okay, okay," Callie shook her head trying to not dwell on the fact that Arizona asked her to meet her family and instead bring back the memories of Miami. "So, I wanted to just sun at the beach that day. It had also been over a year since I had been on a board and I did not want to eat it in a bikini."

Arizona's gaze had glazed over. "Arizona?"

"I'm listening," a slight blush formed on her cheeks, "I got distracted by the bikini bit again."

Laughter erupted from Callie, "Okay, anyways Heather was not taking no for an answer."

xOxOxO

* * *

She pushed the beach chair deeper into the sand getting it stuck in properly so a drift of wind wouldn't take it off if she was dipping into the water to cool off for a moment. Callie's eyes scanned down the surf in search of Aria who was already running away from the tide nipping at her heels. She shook her head, amused to see that her little sister while loving being seen at the beach still hated the water touching any piece of her skin.

"Don't tell me you're turning into one of those actual beach snobs Torres." Glancing over her shoulder Callie whipped her hair back to see the long and always lanky form of Matty. He crossed his arms and clucked his tongue, "Heather said you weren't going to get on a board and I knew that she couldn't be serious."

He pointed out to the surf, the waves curling into a tight barrel for what seemed like ages before breaking creating a dream wave calling out to her. "I mean the surf is as pretty as you could ask and it's like riding a bike right?" He grinned for a moment before Callie's arm shot out and hit him on the shoulder, "Alright, maybe not for you…" he trailed off dipping his head down as dirty blonde hair fell into his face. Matty looked up through his chunky bangs, "At least seeing that you are not always graceful on land, but on sea Callie."

She pushed him roughly on the shoulder again and tied her hair up in a loose knot, "Stop making it sound like I'm poetry in the water Matty. I was decent."

"Poetry?" Matty repeated, his left shoulder bouncing up into a half-shrug. "I don't know about that but ..." his gaze drifted from the girl in front of him to the waves and then back again, "I know decent and you're more than that."

Squinting down at his friend, he smirked and added, "You weren't afraid of getting blasted before, city girl."

Callie looked back out at the waves for a moment and then at her group of friends farther down the surf. She had always hung around the same crowd, which upset her father seeing that it was mostly boys and Heather. The two girls amongst a sea of testosterone as her mother had often referred to it in a teasing manner. They all attended the same Catholic schools growing up as well as the same church, Our Lady of Sorrows, which they all had made fun of the name.

She saw the rough housing among the boys pushing one another into the surf. The sun reflecting off the water as they laughed so freely with each other. Her eyes drifted back to the assortment of boards laying about the sand and swallowed as Heather was shucking the rest of her wetsuit off of her long toned legs.

The dark blue shirt clung to her arms showing the muscles working to pull the tight material, a second skin, off into the ground. She should have known that Heather would be wearing bikini bottoms underneath, but the bright green seemed to wink back at her against the olive toned skin. She swallowed again before dragging her eye line back to Matty's slanted grin.

Skirting his eyes away from his friend, Matty bit his lip to try to keep his grin from growing. "I mean, you can totally sit there and watch me, if you want. I mean, if you want a lesson in poetry," he said, a slight chuckle betraying his faux-cool demeanor.

"I mean," he continued after clearing his throat, "I'm good if you want to sit back for the ancillary stoke." Matty nodded his head a couple of times for show, "Your call."

His eyes met Callie's briefly before he raised both eyebrows in anticipation.

"Matty?" Callie asked with humor in her voice, "Do you ever recall having a glory trail follow one of your tries?"

His eyes narrowed in deep thought before popping open, "Yes, but I think that's more because I lost my baggies in the process."

They both chuckled and he kicked his head towards the boards and the group that now was holding one of the boys aloft overhead and running back towards the water.

"Grab my board, take a wave, and call me in the morning." Matty shook his head water dripping off the ends of his hair.

Callie wiggled her toes deeper into the sand, letting the warmth completely cover one foot. "Nice prescription, doc," she drawled.

With a flick of her ankle, the fine dirt slid from her skin as she stretched a long leg out in front of her. Taking another quick glance toward Heather, she planted her hands on the arms of her chair and pushed herself semi-gracefully into a standing position. There's only so much grace one can have when trying to move about in sand.

"Don't mind if I do," Callie decided, forcing her attention back to her best friend.

She rested her hand on the nose guard of Matty's board and nodded once, as though punctuating her decision.

"Could stand to cool off a bit," she muttered under her breath as she reached her arm around the board to dislodge it from its standing position in the sand.

Matty watched her walk towards the water as it rushed in towards the beach. He glanced over to Heather and nodded at her before slipping into Callie's abandoned seat. His hands immediately opened up the cooler seeing the goodies that Mrs. Torres had packed for her children and smacked his lips together.

"I'll just be here eating your lunch away," he yelled after his friend.

The long tanned legs pivoted at the beach's edge on the hard packed sand, "Back away from the empanadas Matty or Aria will murder you first and I'll murder you second!"

A chilly hand cupped her elbow and leaned in with a whisper, "If you do that you're only giving him what he wants."

Callie jumped and looked at Heather smiling beside her, "Not funny."

"Aw," she pouted in answer her brown eyes seemed to sparkle with little flecks of gold shining back at her, "I thought it was a little bit funny."

Callie blinked a few times before shaking her head and letting out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, well," she stalled, trying to think of anything to bring the conversation back into focus in her mind, "don't come crying to me, little girl, when the container with Ma's salsa fresca has been all but licked clean."

"Little girl?" Heather asked, leaning away from her friend. She allowed her eyes to roam over Callie's body as she pretended to size her up. "Don't think I can't take you."

Heather grinned at her as she laid her board down clasping the board's leash around her ankle. "Well come on get your leg rope on so you don't lose Matty's board."

Bending down Callie grasped onto the cuff and attached it to her ankle; she looked up through her lashes and saw Heather gazing at the top of her suit's halter top. She felt a rush of adrenaline that she wasn't sure was attached to the sound of the hullabaloo in the surf of her pack of friends or the girl opposite her.

Bursting up from the ground Callie hiked the board under her shoulder and started walking into the shallow of the tide until it pooled around her knees. Dropping the board onto the water she took a deep breath before lying across the board and feeling the bumps from Matty's over-waxing of the deck.

"Race you to the calm and then we'll wait on the boys to take the first swells." Heather winked as she arched her arms out pushing herself forward with a swift and sure paddle that Callie had always envied.

She quickly plunged her hand into the water and pushed forward trying to catch up to the girl in front of her edging out towards the first wave. Callie held her breath and clutched onto the board as she wasn't sure if it would carry her over or cut through, in that moment she realized it had been too long since she'd paddled out.

After easily skimming over the top of the first wave she shook her head as she saw Heather glance back towards her, hair flicking beads of water onto the surface, "I thought this was a race Torres!"

Flattening her body against the body Callie refocused on navigating the swells as efficiently as possible until she felt the calm of the ocean give way and looked up to see small groups sitting on their boards awaiting turns for a wave.

She looked over the water to see Heather lying on her board on her back taking in the clouds drifting along, "I thought we were going to surf. If you wanted to watch clouds we could have done that on the beach."

Callie dropped her hands down on both sides of her stopping the motion of her board as she approached and pressed her cheek against the board. Feeling the motion of the tide bob the board calmly up and down, she closed her eyes for a moment.

"Beautiful." Heather said with reverence.

Cracking an eye open Callie saw that her friend was leveling her gaze at her and not the clouds anymore, "Yeah, it is."

Heather looked back up at the sky, "Yeah, that too."

Callie dropped her legs into the water and pulled herself up into a sitting position feeling her stomach flip-flopping and knowing it was not from the water, "Heather?"

"Callie?"

Heather moved slowly mimicking Callie's seated position, but facing the opposite way towards the horizon as Callie watched the waves break towards the beach.

"Why do you flirt with me?" Callie asked softly.

A grin broke out over Heather's face as she took in the question, "You have to know why I do it Callie. I mean, I know we don't talk about it around the boys, but you know."

The two of them sat with the water licking against the boards causing the only noise besides the shouted words of encouragement among the waiting groups as another paddled in to catch a wave.

"Well," Callie paused, "I thought you just were saying it to get a reaction out of me."

Heather's eyes caught hers and she tilted her head, tendrils of hair falling over her shoulder, "Is that why you flirt back, because you feel the need to react?"

She moved her hands back and forth playing with the water that pooled along the middle of the board, "No, I do that because I want to… ugh, I don't know okay?" Callie looked to her side at Heather who was smiling kindly at her.

"Callie," Heather inched her pointer finger towards her in a come-hither motion.

Leaning towards her Callie's hair had started falling out around her shoulders and Heather swept them away with a hand. She softly boxed the underside of Callie's chin causing her to look up at her, "Now listen to me on this. You don't have to know the whys to everything. You don't have to have answers for every question. Okay?"

Nodding lightly Callie's eyes trailed to Heather's mouth as she kept speaking, "When you know things you know them and don't let anyone push you to have an answer before you do and Callie?"

"Yes?"

Heather nudged Callie's chin again and drew her gaze up to her eyes, "It's nice to look a lady in the eyes when you're talking to her." She smirked, "Or she might get the wrong idea and act on it."

As Heather leaned towards her Callie felt a sharp intake of breath before lips landed on hers that tasted like the ocean. Cool with a hint of warmth. Soft with the hint of force behind them, her eyes fluttered shut for a moment before she heard the water shifting and realized that Heather had pulled back from her almost as quickly as she had leaned in to kiss her.

"Next wave is yours if you decide to catch it Callie."

She watched as Heather paddled quickly around to the swell and jumped up on the board cutting to the right to ride along the slight barrel before she lost sight of her and was left alone. Her hand reached up to touch her mouth and for a moment she wondered if it had even happened. Shaking the thought off she laid down on the board and was happy that the sea was consistent today causing another wave quickly to take her back to the beach where life was a little less confusing.

xOxOxO

* * *

"So, did you see her after that summer?" Arizona asked lightly as she watched Callie drift out of her memories.

Callie shook her head and pulled open the linen closet as she pulled out a soft towel. She curled it up in her hands and took a deep breath almost surprised to not smell the remnants of the sea and sunscreen. "No, we lost touch after she moved with her family out to Hawaii."

Arizona's brow furrowed for a moment, "Were they Navy?"

"Coast Guard," Callie answered and pointed a finger in the air, "Don't even try to minimalize the Coast Guard, Arizona."

Wide eyes answered her back as Callie headed towards the bathroom, "I would never even do that Calliope, I respect all the armed services."

Turning the water on in the shower Callie tested the temperature as she felt Arizona's eyes on her back. She turned and looked at the relaxed stance against the door frame and sighed, "So are you glad you got that story out of me?"

Arizona noted the vulnerability in Callie's voice and narrowed her eyes, "Glad? No, but it does let me know more about you and how you always see the person first." She smiled warmly at Callie, "We all have a Heather."

A smirk worked its way across Callie's face slowly as her voice dropped, "Oh, really?"

"Yes, really," Arizona answered smiling as a blush crept up her face.

She walked over to the doorway and cupped Arizona's cheek, forcing her to look Callie in the eyes, "Why do I feel like your Heather was a lot dirtier than mine?"

Arizona's mouth gaped open for a moment and then shut as she held a breath for a long moment, "Perhaps, if you make more waffles I'll tell you about her too," she looked up into Callie's eyes, "but only if you want to hear it."

Leaning forward Callie placed a soft kiss on Arizona's lips. She felt it deepen with a sigh and increased pressure from Arizona and she tested the waters running her tongue along the seam trying to coax her way in. Hands slipped around her waist pulling Callie closer before allowing her entry into her mouth. A soft noise of content rattled through them both before she moved back and placed her forehead to rest on Arizona's. "I'll listen to your stories as long as they end like this," she claimed Arizona's mouth once more nipping lightly at her bottom lip.

Soon Callie leaned back as steam poured out of the top of the shower, "Care to join me and wash off that airport as well as the syrup that is still all over your mouth?"

Arizona's laugh echoed around the bathroom, "You say that like you don't like it."

"Sometimes I just like to taste you." Callie answered huskily.

Slipping her fingers into Callie's Arizona smiled slowly, her dimples coming out to play, "Well then we better get in the shower immediately." Arizona's hands toyed with the end of her t-shirt and she paused looking into Callie's eyes thoughtfully, "Thank you."

"For what?" Callie asked.

Arizona smiled, "Sharing those pieces of you with me today."

She looked over the pale skin of Arizona's face and pushed the hair softly behind her ears, "And tomorrow."

"And the next day," Arizona intoned their promise to one another before tugging Callie's shirt over her head. She leaned forward kissing Callie quickly before smiling, "But mostly because of the waffles."

The childish scream drifted through the apartment as Callie picked Arizona up clothes and all and carried her into the shower. As the water rushed over them both the throaty laughter from Arizona reminded Callie that the memories of whom we were and the experiences that we have in the past make us who we are in the present. In that moment as the rivulets of water covered them both she was thankful for those before Arizona and those before her who were able to form them both into whom they needed to be for each other for today, tomorrow, and the next day.

With waffles.


End file.
